“Did you call for me?”
“Then who else is here if not you? You’re just a chick, how dare you ignore your senior? Huh?”
Kwon Yuri, kneeling down and catching her breath, strode closer.
Her tone sounded intentionally angry, but her eyes were oddly playful, like she was trying not to smile.
Yet, there was absolutely no resentment towards being ignored.
Instead, there was a hint of mischievousness in her voice.
“Why am I a chick?”
With a perfectly good name, why was she calling me like I was some sort of animal?
Now that I think about it, this girl called me that when I first saw her at the beginning of the semester.
The horrific and intense experiences I had afterward made me forget it.
“If it’s been less than two months since you entered, then you really are a chick!”
Kwon Yuri opened her eyes wide as if asking me an obvious question.
“Then do you call all other freshmen that too?”
“No, just you.”
“?”
As I was dumbfounded and couldn’t continue, Kwon Yuri giggled.
“You seem kind of undeveloped, you know? Just a feeling.”
It was absurd for someone smaller than me to say such a thing. I felt a bit indignant rising up inside me.
But one thing was certain: this girl was the type of person I found hardest to deal with.
But why was Kwon Yuri being so friendly with me? Sure, she could act like that when we first met, but there was no reason for her to do so now, right?
She couldn’t possibly be unaware that my mentor and her friend were sworn enemies.
Even if she had a laid-back personality, it didn’t make sense.
…Could she be plotting something?
“Ha ha… you’re so funny. I wish I had approached you sooner.”
Kwon Yuri covered her mouth, bursting into giggles.
“So, why did you call me?”
“Have you seen Seoyeon?”
I was left dazed, like I was hit in the head with a hammer by her unexpectedly outrageous request.
“…Why are you asking me? How would I know…”
“Can’t you? I heard from another junior that Seoyeon went towards the library earlier. So I thought maybe…”
No matter how much I think about it, I had no recollection of seeing a girl with black hair today. Unless she had deliberately hidden, I wouldn’t have missed her if she had even stepped into the library for a moment.
“I haven’t seen her. If you’re done, I’ll be on my way.”
The more I continued the conversation, the more I felt drained. No matter how I tried to cut her off, all I got was emotional depletion.
I quickly turned to leave, wanting to escape now that I hadn’t given Kwon Yuri the response she wanted.
“Hey, don’t be so cold! Are you busy? Can’t you talk for a moment?”
But in the blink of an eye, Kwon Yuri blocked my path again.
With her came a fresh and sweet scent, reminiscent of peaches, filling the air.
“Yes, I’m busy. And I don’t think we’re close enough to talk like that.”
“Why not?”
“…”
That innocent look on her face, as if she knew nothing, made my head hurt.
The frustrating nature of it all was suffocating me.
Yet she didn’t show any outright hostility, unlike Choi Ireh or Jin Yeseo. No, I barely sensed any similar emotions from her at all.
With my common sense, I couldn’t figure out how to deal with her.
“Of course…”
“We’re upperclassmen and juniors at the same academy, right? Of course, we can greet each other and chat. Sometimes we can have meals together and drink tea, right?”
“…”
“Ah! Speaking of meals, should I have dinner with you next time? What do you think?”
“Why would I… No thanks.”
“Too good to be true? I’ve been waiting to hear that! I’m so happy! I didn’t expect us to think the same!”
“…”
Talking to her felt like conversing with a strange machine making odd jokes, not a person. This sense of powerlessness was something I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
In that moment, Kwon Yuri, who had been giggling to herself, suddenly looked wide-eyed at my chest.
“Oh my? Hey! Your tie is loose! Fix it! If the student council sees you, you’ll be penalized for a dress code violation!”
At those words, I instinctively lowered my head.
I had tied it properly today!
However, contrary to her words, the tie was neatly secured in place as it had been since this morning, perfectly in place.
At the same time, I felt something lightly land on top of my bent head. And a jolt of sensation shot through my body.
Puhuhuhuh… how did you fall for that? Even elementary kids wouldn’t fall for that joke. You really are a chick… oh my!
Thud!
I instinctively swatted Kwon Yuri’s hand away as she burst out laughing.
“Ouch… hey, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell or something?”
Cold sweat poured down, and my heart raced. I had no confidence to stay here any longer.
I made a face that said I was clueless and quickly made my escape, leaving Kwon Yuri behind.
“Hey… chick! Wait a minute…!”
*
“Hmm…”
Kwon Yuri stared blankly at the vacant spot left by the Masked Male Student.
Her head tilted, filled with suspicion about some kind of relationship.
Suddenly, a silly joke that came to mind while I observed him during the aerial basin practice resurfaced.
“Hmm?”
Before I knew it, Kwon Yuri’s lips curled into a mischievous smile that didn’t quite match her innocent appearance.
*
“Senior?”
Before I could even heal the wounds from my earlier attack, Yeon Minha warmly welcomed me back to the dormitory in her unique way.
When I bumped into her at the entrance, she buried her head in my arms and didn’t move an inch.
“…Minha… Choi Ireh and Jin Yeseo… they’re blocking the club… I really want to kill them…”
From her mumbled words, it seemed something had happened in the student council. I could practically hear the gritting of her teeth, and it was clear she was really upset.
It seemed they had obstructed the establishment of a club. Even if the factions were different, were they really nitpicking on such trivial things?
It was a different kind of life-and-death struggle than physical confrontations.
These days, something strange was felt from Yeon Minha. There was a chillier breeze in her tone and expression, just like when I first saw her entering the cradle.
But her actions felt bolder and more aggressive in some way. Even so, I hadn’t expected her to just bury herself into my chest like this.
“…”
After some hesitation, instead of pushing her away, I lifted my hand and gently patted her back. It was a bit awkward, yet there was no reason not to accept it.
I knew about Yeon Minha’s pain, and if the source of her recent changes was stress from the student council activities…
Sniff, sniff…
However, just as she enjoyed my touch like a cat, Yeon Minha suddenly started sniffing the air.
Then she quickly jerked her head away and muttered in an annoyed voice.
“…What is that smell?”
“Smell?”
Seeming quite displeased, Yeon Minha scrunched her brows.
“Uh, it’s fresh and… kind of peachy? I feel like I’ve smelled it before, but why does it feel so off…?”
The moment she mentioned peaches, I immediately understood. It was Kwon Yuri’s perfume scent. When did I pick it up?
“…I’m not sure.”
I couldn’t tell Yeon Minha about meeting Kwon Yuri. I could only imagine how she would react upon learning the scent’s owner was a student from the rival group.
Kwon Yuri. She was really someone hard to deal with. I never wanted to meet her again…
“…Something’s off. Did you meet someone before coming here?”
“I came directly from the library. But, Senior, when are you giving me that gift?”
Seeing her hinting at asking about something, I quickly changed the subject.
The change in Yeon Minha’s expression from fierce to soft was quite effective.
She flinched and slowly distanced herself from me.
“…I’m still preparing.”
“Will you not measure my size?”
What she had wanted me to choose back then was clearly a fabric bundle. It seemed she was planning to make me some clothes.
But Yeon Minha wouldn’t know my measurements. Not to mention, I had grown 2 cm taller since entering the cradle. I had also gained some muscle.
“…I’ll handle it. Just wait quietly…”
Yet, her tone bore a hint of embarrassment as she quickly slipped into the bedroom.
…What exactly did she mean by that?
*
In the dead of night, as I heard Yeon Minha’s rhythmic breathing through the wall, I dimmed the bedside light and spread the pile of empty paper that Muyeong gave me on the desk.
Along the thick paper surface, thin circuits stretched out delicately, faintly glimmering in the light.
Blowing particles according to the cipher pattern that Muyeong showed me, various faint sequences began to inscribe themselves simultaneously.
The sound of saliva gulping down my throat echoed suspiciously in the silent room.
Even though it was a request to relieve some discomfort, I never expected to encounter a real person sharing the same personal details as the woman from my dreams.
How I should take this fact is still a mystery to me, but… I have to learn as much as I can while I’m at it.
“Lee Hwar-yeong. 27 years old. Wizard belonging to the 3rd Exploration Battalion under the Barrier Guard. The rank is Captain…”
As I turned to the first page, a profile picture in the corner caught my eye.
An ordinary-looking woman, quite unremarkable, someone you could find anywhere.
The data provided by Muyeong was a military investigation report on the soldier who had mysteriously gone missing for some unclear reason.
“The date of disappearance is…”
April 26, 2137. Three years ago from today.
“…”
I was momentarily speechless.
The date this person went missing… was exactly the same as the date on the oddly vivid calendar from that dream.
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